Four Venezuelan immigrants with suspected ties to the notorious Tren de Aragua prison gang were indicted on Wednesday in connection with an armed robbery at a Denver jewelry store, two of whom had previously been arrested in other states, The Washington Post reported.
Three of the suspected gang members, Oswaldo Lozada Solis, 23, Jesus Daniel Lara del Toro, 20, and Jean Franco Torres Roman, 21, were charged with armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Colorado made the announcement Wednesday..
A fourth migrant, Edwimar Nazareth Corina Romero, 18, was charged with transportation of stolen property and possession of stolen property.
The charges stem from a June 25 robbery at the Joyeria El Ruby jewelry store in which two female employees were beaten with a handgun and received death threats.
The Post previously reported that Torres Roman had been arrested in Chicago and charged with unlawful use of a weapon for allegedly trying to conceal a stolen gun, but was released by a judge just a month before the Denver robbery. Authorities later identified the 21-year-old suspect as a member of Tren de Aragua.
Now, the Washington Post has revealed that another immigrant allegedly involved in the armed robbery also has ties to Venezuelan gangs and had been arrested in another state before attacking the jewelry store.
According to a criminal complaint, Lozada-Solis was arrested by the New York Police Department in November 2023 after he allegedly ran multiple traffic lights on a scooter without a license plate or driver’s license.
He was charged with second-degree endangered driving, but it is unclear whether the charges were dropped or if he was arraigned and released pending future trial.
According to Department of Homeland Security records obtained by The Washington Post, Lozada Solis crossed the border into Laredo in October 2022. He told border officials he was headed to Atlanta and was allowed into the country wearing an ankle monitoring device.
But the illegal immigrant disconnected his monitoring device after about 200 days, records show. It’s unclear when he arrived in New York.
Three days after the Denver robbery, Losada Solis, Torres Roman and Corina Romero were arrested at a Motel 6 in El Paso, Texas, according to sources.
According to the source, the motel is “notorious for international criminal organizations harboring and smuggling illegal immigrants attempting to further infiltrate the United States and illegal drugs.”
Police also arrested seven others at the same motel who they believe are connected to Tren de Aragua’s crimes, including another immigrant with a criminal record, Newman Castillo Delgado, but Castillo Delgado has not been charged in the jewelry store robbery.
Castillo Delgado He was previously arrested in Chicago. He is accused of shoplifting $3,114 worth of Ralph Lauren clothing from a local department store in June 2023. According to CWB Chicago.
A judge later released him pending indictment, the outlet reported.
According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, Castillo-Delgado failed to appear in court after his release and a warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest.
According to a Department of Homeland Security source, Castillo Delgado illegally crossed the border into Texas in August 2022, was released by the Border Patrol and enrolled in a tracking program, but escaped around January 2023.
During the arrest at the Motel 6, police found a firearm that the group had attempted to flush down the toilet, as well as stolen jewelry, according to sources.
Additional reporting by Amanda Woods
